EA Showcase 2012: Insomniac focuses on co-op with Fuse

When it comes to describing Fuse, Insomniac Games creative director, Brian Allgeier, says it contains the dry humor and teamwork of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and the alien weapons from District 9.

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When it comes to describing Fuse, Insomniac Games creative director, Brian Allgeier, says it contains the dry humor and teamwork of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and the alien weapons from District 9.

The game features an alien substance called "Fuse" that powers weapons for otherworldly abilities, such as a gun consisting of an energy barrier that builds up kinetic energy for explosive attacks.

"The game contains a story driven campaign with four players and drop-in/drop-out co-op," Allgeier said.

As with past Insomniac games, the true stars of Fuse are the weapons, with one gun crystalising groups of enemies for effective crowd control, another firing out med beacons to heal downed players, and a sniper rifle with bullets that incinerate.

"The sniper rifle can be upgraded to fry foes quicker," Allgeier said.

There is even a weapon that creates miniature black holes, allowing kills to be chained together.

"Weapons can also be picked up and used in the field," Allgeier said.

The game has been designed to encourage "lethal teamwork," and the player can earn Fuse points which act as XP.

"Fuse points can be spent to upgrade team members through their unique skill tree," Allgeier said.

At certain points in the game, the player can jump between team members on the fly, which is useful if the player is pinned down.

More to multiplayer

Allgeier used the EA Showcase event in Sydney to announce the Echelon "co-petitive" mode, which is co-op multiplayer with a competitive aspect.

"Gameplays consists of attacking the enemies instead of defending, and objectives change on the fly" Allgeier said.

Echelon contains 12 rounds, with the player encountering the first boss at round six and the final boss at round 12, with the challenges in the other rounds being randomised.

The player can earn Fuse points in Echelon, as well as Fuse credits which are used to purchase visual upgrades and team perks.